Conventionally, an input apparatus, which is disclosed in JP 2006-244393 A is well known. The input apparatus disclosed in JP 2006-244393 A includes a display unit, and an input unit. The display unit displays multiple function items. The input unit selects one of the function items by moving a virtual pointer on a display window based on a predetermined selection manipulation, which is performed by a user on a surface of the input unit, and determines the selected function item based on a predetermined determination manipulation, which is performed by the user on the surface of the input unit.
The predetermined selection manipulation is a manipulation performed by the user with a finger on the surface of the input unit to select the function item. Specifically, a pointer moves based on a slide of the finger on the surface of the input unit, and selects the function item. The predetermined determination manipulation is a manipulation performed by the user with the finger on the surface of the input unit to determine the selected function item. Specifically, the selected function item is determined based on a press on the surface of the input unit with the finger.
Each function item has a button shape, and the button shape of each function item includes a selection region and a boundary region. The selection region is arranged at a center of an entire region of the button shape, and the boundary region is arranged so that the boundary region surrounds the selection region within the entire region of the button shape. In the input apparatus disclosed in JP 2006-244393 A, when the pointer enters the boundary region of the function item and stops moving for a predetermined time, the pointer is controlled to move to a center position of the selection region of the function item.
With above-described configuration, when the pointer is positioned in the boundary region of the function item and the user stops a slide of the finger on the surface of the input unit for the predetermined time, the pointer is controlled to move to the center position of the selection region of the function item. Thus, the function item is determined with certain thereby reducing a wrong input even when the pointer is displaced due to a shake of the finger during performing the predetermined determination manipulation by pressing the function item.
In the input apparatus disclosed in JP 2006-244393 A, when the user selects a target function item, which is arranged apart from a currently selected function item, the user needs to slide the finger on the surface of the input unit from the currently selected function item to the target function item passing through non-target function items positioned between the currently selected function item and the target function item. During a movement from the currently selected function item to the target function item, when the user repeatedly stops within or near the non-target function items, the pointer is controlled to moved to an inside portion of a corresponding non-target function item. Thus, the pointer is displaced from a route from the currently selected function item to the target function item and selects a non-target function item finally. Thus, in this case, a wrong function item other than the target item is selected. Under this state, when the predetermined determination manipulation is performed, the wrong function item other than the target function item is determined. Thus, with above-described configuration, a wrong input occurs finally.